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Poland Succeeds After Eight Years to Dispose of Abandoned Russian Tanker

Russian tanker towed from Poland
After eight years in port Khatanga was prepared for departure (Arkadiusz Marchewka)

Published Jun 20, 2025 6:05 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Polish officials were on hand to witness a Russian-registered product tanker towed from the Port of Gdynia after languishing for eight years and becoming a political liability. After months of efforts, the tanker Khatanga was towed away on Thursday, June 19, with Poland’s Deputy Minister of Infrastructure Arkadiusz Marchewka on hand to highlight the occasion announcing the vessel would be “cut into razor blades.”

The product tanker Khatanga (23,000 dwt) became a fixture in the Port of Gdynia after it was detained in October 2017 after a failed Port State inspection. Structural issues were identified during the inspection along with questions regarding the training and competence of the crew. The owner of the vessel, Murmansk Shipping Company, promised repairs but ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2020. Control of the vessel passed to a trustee who showed little interest in the ship.

 

 

This year the ship drew renewed attention with speculation in the media even suggesting the Russians were using it to spy on NATO’s activity in the port. Port officials however simply said it was a navigation hazard, but they lacked the legal authority to expel the ship or seize the Khatanga. It highlighted the growing danger confirming reports that the vessel had twice broken away from its moorings and began to drift in the port.

The government authorized the sale of the vessel and by May the Port Authority was reporting it was finally ready to depart. However, because the European Union has classified the vessel as waste, and because it is incapable of navigation, they require documentation before the ship can be towed from the port. Technical work had to be undertaken to prepare the ship including reports in the media that its tanks had not been properly vented in years creating a risk of an explosion.

 

 

With Poland in the midst of a contentious presidential election that is yet to be resolved, Marchewka used the departure of the ship as a political issue. He accused the predecessor government of not doing anything. He created a video on the dock with the ship as a backdrop and posted it on X.

Port officials announced that the ship had been sold to a qualified scrapyard in Denmark licensed for the required remediation and dismantling of the vessel. Secured with tugs, the vessel was finally hauled away from the dock and began its journey to the recycling yard.